Pre-Tournament Notes: 2017 Presidents Cup Player bios/stats begin on page 6 For more information, please contact: Joel Schuchmann Michael Baliker VP, Communications Specialist, Communications joelschuchmann@pgatourhq.com michaelbaliker@pgatourhq.com 904-280-4707 904-273-7664 What: The Presidents Cup When: September 26 October 1, 2017 Location: Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey Course Architect Tom Kite and Robert Cupp (Opened 2006) Par/Yardage: Total: 7,345 Par: 71 Field: The Presidents Cup, a team match play competition featuring 24 of the world s top golfers 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe is held every two years, and since 1996 has alternated between United States and international venues. The United States holds a 9-1-1 advantage in the event, with the lone International Team victory coming in 1998 in Australia. Future Venues: 2019 Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Australia) 2021 Quail Hollow Club (Charlotee, North Carolina) 2023 TBD (international venue) 2025 Harding Park Golf Club (San Francisco, California) U.S. Team - The top 10 U.S. players who earned the most official FedExCup points from September 15, 2015, through the 2017 Dell Technologies Championship (Sept. 4); points earned starting with the 2016 BMW Championship were doubled. Two Captain s Selections were made on September 6. Captain: Steve Stricker (1 st time as Captain) Captain s Assistants: Fred Couples, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods International Team - The top 10 international players (excluding those eligible for the European Ryder Cup team) from the Official World Golf Ranking through the 2017 Dell Technologies Championship, and two Captain s Selections made on September 6. Captain: Nick Price (3 rd time as Captain) Captain s Assistants: Ernie Els, Tony Johnstone, Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Weir About Liberty National Golf Club -- Liberty National is the fourth golf course in the United States to host the Presidents Cup, joining Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Prince William County, Va., (1994, 1996, 2000, 2005), TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, Calif., (2009) and Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio (2013). The Presidents Cup 2017 will take place September 26-October 1.
One of the world s most picturesque golf courses, Liberty National is located along the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J., with striking views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan skyline. The golf club fittingly opened on July 4, 2006, and is guided by the vision and leadership of former Reebok Founder/Chairman & CEO Paul Fireman, currently chairman of Fireman Capital Partners, and his son Dan Fireman, managing partner of Fireman Capital Partners. Designed by U.S. Open Champion Tom Kite and esteemed golf course mastermind Bob Cupp, Liberty National has been the proud host to the first event of the PGA TOUR s FedExCup Playoffs, THE NORTHERN TRUST, in 2009 and 2013. Format: The Presidents Cup competition consists of 30 matches: Thursday 5 Foursomes matches Friday 5 Four-ball matches Saturday morning 4 Foursomes matches Saturday afternoon 4 Four-ball matches Sunday 12 Singles matches Pairings Pairings for the first round (Thursday Foursomes) are made at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 27. The captain of the defending team (U.S.) will choose who goes first to start the draw, and the captains alternate for the remaining sessions. All matches are worth one point each, for a total of 30 points. There are no playoffs, with each side receiving a half point if a match is tied after 18 holes. In a change inspired by the events of the 2003 Presidents Cup, if the match is deadlocked at the end of singles play, the competition will be deemed a tie and the teams will share the Presidents Cup. Television Times Date Time Channel Thursday, Sept. 28 1-6 p.m. ET GOLF Channel Friday, Sept. 29 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET GOLF Channel Saturday, Sept. 30 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET NBC Sunday, Oct. 1 12-6 p.m. ET NBC Charitable Distributions: Unlike many other events, the players do not receive prize money based on performance. Instead, the PGA TOUR pledges to contribute to charities, which are nominated by the players, captains and captains assistants from both teams. PLAYER CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS BY YEAR 1994 US $ 750,000 1996 US $ 800,000 1998 US $ 2.9 million 2000 US $ 2.8 million 2003 US $ 2.8 million 2005 US $ 3.5 million 2007 US $ 4.2 million 2009 US $ 4.2 million 2011 US $ 4.5 million 2013 US $ 4.65 million 2015 US $ 6.1 million U.S. TEAM Player Prior appearances Record Start of Season 1. Dustin Johnson 2011, 2015 4-4-1 1 2. Jordan Spieth 2013, 2015 5-4-0 2
3. Justin Thomas 8 4. Rickie Fowler 2015 1-3-0 20 5. Daniel Berger 7 6. Brooks Koepka 18 7. Kevin Kisner 13 8. Patrick Reed 2015 1-2-1 3 9. Matt Kuchar 2011, 2013, 2015 4-7-2 11 10. Kevin Chappell 4 * Charley Hoffman 25 * Phil Mickelson 1994-96-98-00-03-05-07-09-11-13-15 23-16-12 12 *Captain s Selection INTERNATIONAL TEAM Player Country Prior appearances Record Start of Season 1. Hideki Matsuyama Japan 2013, 2015 3-4-2 4 2. Jason Day Australia 2011, 2013, 2015 4-8-3 1 3. Adam Scott Australia 2003-05-07-09-11-13-15 13-17-5 2 4. Louis Oosthuizen South Africa 2013, 2015 5-3-2 5 5. Marc Leishman Australia 2013, 2015 3-4-1 10 6. Charl Schwartzel South Africa 2011, 2013, 2015 6-7-1 6 7. Branden Grace South Africa 2013, 2015 5-4-0 3 8. Si Woo Kim Korea 12 9. Jhonattan Vegas Venezuela 17 10. Adam Hadwin Canada 56 * Emiliano Grillo Argentina 7 * Anirban Lahiri India 2015 0-3-0 22 *Captain s Selection Team and Player Notes There are 10 players making their Presidents Cup debuts in 2017: International Team: Emiliano Grillo, Adam Hadwin, Si Woo Kim and Jhonattan Vegas U.S. Team: Daniel Berger, Kevin Chappell, Charley Hoffman, Kevin Kisner, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas The International Team is represented by eight countries, tying the most-ever for an International Team (2000, 2009). Among the eight is Venezuela, which will be represented for the first time in Presidents Cup history by Jhonattan Vegas. Argentina adds a second name to its list of Presidents Cup participants with 25-year-old Emiliano Grillo, who was selected as a Captain s Selection after finishing 11 th in the International Team standings. Grillo joins four-time Presidents Cup participant Angel Cabrera as the only Argentinians to compete. International countries represented over the history of the Presidents Cup: 14 - Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Fiji, India, Japan, New Zealand, Paraguay, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Venezuela, Zimbabwe. Most countries represented by International Team (players only), by year: 8: 2000, 2009, 2017 7: 1998, 2015 6: 1994, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013 4: 2011 Total representation, by country, in the Presidents Cup by International Team members (players only): Australia, 50 South Africa, 34 Japan, 10
Fiji, 8 Zimbabwe, 8 New Zealand, 7 Korea, 8 Canada, 7 Argentina, 5 Paraguay, 2 Colombia, 1 India, 2 Thailand, 1 Venezuela, 1 Both Presidents Cup teams are the youngest in history. The average age of the U.S. Team is 31.8 years old, while the International Team is 30.3 years old. The four U.S. Captain s Assistants (Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Jim Furyk, Fred Couples) have combined for a record of 69-38-10 at the Presidents Cup. 2017 Presidents Cup Captain s Selections U.S. Charley Hoffman Phil Mickelson International Anirban Lahiri Emiliano Grillo Notable Captain s Selection performances: David Duval 1996 4-0-0 Phil Mickelson 2015 3-0-1 Mike Weir 2007 3-1-1 U.S. Presidents Cup Captain s Selections have an overall record of 40-40-14, while the International Team's Captain s Selections have compiled a mark of 35-55-5. South African duo formidable The South African duo of Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace will most likely be paired together this week, having compiled a perfect 4-0-0 record in 2015. Here s a look at their performance in 2015 together: Day One Foursomes: defeated Matt Kuchar/Patrick Reed 2&1 Day Two Four-ball: defeated Dustin Johnson/Jordan Spieth 4&3 Day Three Foursome: deafeated Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler 3&2 Day Three Four-ball: defeated Bubba Watson/J.B. Holmes 1-up Phil Mickelson with 12 th consecutive Presidents Cup appearance Phil Mickelson (23-16-12) is the only player on either team to have competed in all 11 previous editions of the Presidents Cup. The 2017 Presidents Cup marks his 23 rd consecutive team match between the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup dating back to 1994. Phil Mickelson has been paired with 15 different players in his Presidents Cup career: Woody Austin, Keegan Bradley, Chris DiMarco, David Duval, Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Anthony Kim, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, Davis Love III, Hunter Mahan, Sean O Hair, Corey Pavin and David Toms. Most matches played: 51 Phil Mickelson, U.S. (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013) 40 Ernie Els, International (1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013) 40 Vijay Singh, International (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) 40 Tiger Woods, U.S. (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013) Most matches won: 24 Tiger Woods, U.S. (24-15-1) 23 Phil Mickelson, U.S. (23-16-12) 20 Ernie Els, International (20-18-2) 20 Jim Furyk, U.S. (20-10-3)
16 Davis Love III, U.S. (16-8-4) 16 Vijay Singh, International (16-15-9) Players to go undefeated at the Presidents Cup (NO HALVES) 1994 - Fred Couples 3-0-0 1996 - David Duval 4-0-0 Mark O'Meara 5-0-0 1998 - Shigeki Maruyama 5-0-0 2000 - Stewart Cink 4-0-0 Davis Love III 4-0-0 2007 - Scott Verplank 4-0-0 2009 - Tiger Woods 5-0-0 2011 - Jim Furyk 5-0-0 2015 Branden Grace 5-0-0 Players to go undefeated at the Presidents Cup (INCLUDING HALVES) 1994 - Davis Love III 4-0-1 1998 - Steve Elkington 3-0-2 2000 - Kirk Triplett 3-0-1 2005 - Retief Goosen 4-0-1 Chris DiMarco 4-0-1 Jim Furyk 3-0-2 Phil Mickelson 3-0-2 2007 - David Toms 4-0-1 2009 - Vijay Singh 2-0-3 Phil Mickelson 4-0-1 2015 Louis Oosthuizen 4-0-1 Phil Mickelson 3-0-1 Zach Johnson 3-0-1 Most matches lost in one year: 5 Ernie Els, International (2000) 5 Phil Mickelson, U.S. (2003) U.S. Team compared to International Team: 2016-17 PGA TOUR Season U.S. International Starts 291 260 Wins 17 8 Top-5 finishes 59 29 Top-10 finishes 88 48 U.S. Team compared to International Team: Performance in 2017 major championships U.S. International Playing in all four 10 11 Made cut in all four 6 2 Top-3 finishes 5 3 Wins 3 0
Sixteen of the 24 players competing at the Presidents Cup played the TOUR Championship: U.S. Team (11) International Team (5) Daniel Berger Jason Day Kevin Chappel Adam Hadwin Rickie Fowler Marc Leishman Charley Hoffman Hideki Matsuyama Dustin Johnson Jhonattan Vegas Kevin Kisner Brooks Koepka Matt Kuchar Patrick Reed Jordan Spieth Justin Thomas Five of the 24 players competing at the 2017 Presidents Cup had multiple PGA TOUR wins in 2016-17: Justin Thomas (5); Dustin Johnson (4); Jordan Spieth (3); Hideki Matsuyama (3); and Marc Leishman (2). Johnson (THE NORTHERN TRUST), Thomas (Dell Technologies Championship) and Leishman (BMW Championship) captured the first three FedExCup Playoff events. Adam Hadwin World Golf Ranking Movement since November 2015 Year Event Rank 2015 OHL Mayakoba Classic at Mayakoba 240 2016 the Memorial Tournament 171 2016 Safeway Open 200 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge 111 2017 Valspar Championship 51 2017 Dell Technologies Championship 45 2017 TOUR Championship 46 2016-17 PGA TOUR Adjusted Scoring Average Leaders 1 Jordan Spieth 68.84 2 Rickie Fowler 68.91 3 Marc Leishman 69.38 4 Justin Thomas 69.43 5 Hideki Matsuyama 69.48 U.S. Team Bios Daniel Berger Age: 24 2017 PGA TOUR record: 26 events, 6 top-10 finishes, including a successful title defense at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Berger, who finished No. 5 in the U.S. Team standings, will make his first start in an international team event as a professional after his most successful season on the PGA TOUR. In just his third full season on TOUR, the 2015 Rookie of the Year collected his second career title and added two runner-up finishes. Thanks to his victory at the FedEx St. Jude Classic his second PGA TOUR title in his 74th career start Berger became the third player to successfully defend a title in the 2016-17 PGA TOUR Season (behind Justin Thomas/CIMB Classic and Hideki Matsuyama/Waste Management Phoenix Open). In addition to the win, Berger finished runner-up in a memorable playoff to Jordan Spieth at the Travelers
Championship. Berger came back from three strokes with three birdies on his last six holes to force sudden death with Spieth. On the first extra hole, No. 18, Spieth made birdie after holing his shot from the greenside bunker and Berger was unable to make his long put, marking Berger s second playoff loss (2015 The Honda Classic/Padraig Harrington). Berger went on to qualify for the TOUR Championship and has punched his ticket to East Lake in each of his first three seasons on the PGA TOUR. Kevin Chappell Age: 31 2017 PGA TOUR record: 27 events, 5 top-10 finishes, including his first career win at the Valero Texas Open It s been a year of firsts for Kevin Chappell, who, at No. 10 in the final U.S. Team standings, narrowly edged out Charley Hoffman by a fraction of a point to secure the 10 th automatic qualifying spot and his Presidents Cup debut. He also added his first career PGA TOUR victory in his 180 th start, holing an eight-foot birdie putt on the 72 nd hole at the Valero Texas Open to win by a shot over Brooks Koepka. In six previous seasons on TOUR, Chappell had amassed six runner-up finishes without making a trip to the winner s circle, including four in 2016 alone. Chappell added four additional top-10 finishes during the 2016-17 Season, including a T7 at the Masters Tournament and a T6 at THE NORTHERN TRUST, which helped secure his second consecutive trip to the season-ending TOUR Championship. Chappell s only previous international team event appearance was the 2008 Palmer Cup. Rickie Fowler Age: 28 2017 PGA TOUR record: 21 events, 10 top-10 finishes, including a win at The Honda Classic. Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2015 (1-3-0) Although Rickie Fowler has just one win during the 2016-17 Season, he has continued to be a top-five machine. Fowler won The Honda Classic and recorded top-five finishes in a total of eight tournaments this season, including his most recent a T2 at the BMW Championship. His play this season resulted in his fourth trip to the TOUR Championship. After beginning the final round of The Honda Classic with a four-stroke lead, Fowler posted a 1-over 71 to win by the same margin for his fourth PGA TOUR title. Fowler opened with back-to-back 66s for the second consecutive year and posted a 65 in the third round to post the best 54-hole total since the event moved to PGA National in 2007 at 13-under 197. It was Fowler s first PGA TOUR victory since the 2015 Dell Technologies Championship. Fowler posted a 1-3-0 record in his Presidents Cup debut in 2015, but has three past Ryder Cup appearances, including a 2-1 performance in 2016. Charley Hoffman, Captain s Selection Age: 40 2017 PGA TOUR record: 31 events, 7 top-10 finishes, including two runner-up finishes. Charley Hoffman was a Captain s Selection for Steve Stricker after missing out on an automatic qualifying spot for the U.S. Team by a fraction of a point to Kevin Chappell.
Despite missing the cut in his first three starts of the season, Hoffman has posted 23 top-25s in 30 starts including two runner-up finishes. The 40-year-old also tied his career-best seven top-10s in 2016-17, including runner-up finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and the RBC Canadian Open. The second-place finish at the RBC Canadian Open came in a sudden-death playoff to Jhonattan Vegas. Hoffman shot 70-70-68-71 to be one of three players (Brooks Koepka, Brandt Snedeker) to post four sub-par rounds at Erin Hills, finishing eighth. Dustin Johnson Age: 33 2017 PGA TOUR record: 20 events, 8 top-10 finishes, including wins at the Genesis Open, World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, and THE NORTHERN TRUST. Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2011, 2015 (4-4-1) With four wins in 2016-17, Dustin Johnson extended his streak of winning at least once per season to 10 straight, making him the active leader in seasons with consecutive wins. Following his first victory of the season at the Genesis Open, Johnson won the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship in his next start. Johnson s victory at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play his third win of the season in three consecutive starts made him the first player to win each of the four World Golf Championships events, completing the WGC Slam. After injuring his back in a fall on the eve of the Masters, Johnson withdrew from the first major of the season. He returned to the TOUR with a T2 at the Wells Fargo Championship and posted just one additional top-10 result (T8/RBC Canadian Open) before the FedExCup Playoffs began. Starting the FedExCup Playoffs in the No. 4 position, Johnson quickly regained the standings lead after he defeated Jordan Spieth at THE NORTHERN TRUST with a birdie at the first playoff hole, despite trailing Spieth by five strokes after five holes. Johnson will make his third start in the Presidents Cup as the top points-earner for the U.S. Team after finishing with a 3-1 record in 2015. Kevin Kisner Age: 33 2017 PGA TOUR record: 28 events, 8 top-10 finishes, including a win at the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational. Kevin Kisner collected eight top-10 finishes this season, including his second career PGA TOUR title at the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational and two runner-up finishes at Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Beginning the final round of the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational three back of Webb Simpson, Kisner carded a final-round 4-under-par 66 for a 10-under-par 270 total, good for a one-stroke victory over Jordan Spieth, Sean O Hair and Jon Rahm. The victory, coming in his 16th start of the season, also marked his fifth top-10 and ninth top-25 of the season, just one shy of his career-high 10 top-25s each of the last two seasons, which he surpassed with a T7 at the PGA Championship. Thanks to two other top-10 finishes over the course of the season at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and the PGA Championship it ensured a third consecutive trip to the TOUR Championship prior to his Presidents Cup debut, where he finished T3. Brooks Koepka
Age: 27 2017 PGA TOUR record: 24 events, 7 top-10 finishes, including a win at the U.S. Open. Brooks Koepka is finishing off the best season of his career, with his season highlight being his first major championship victory at the U.S. Open in June. To go along with his victory, Koepka has two runnerup finishes at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at the Valero Texas Open. Koepka has not missed a cut since the 2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in March. An integral member of the victorious 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup Team with a 3-1 record, Koepka will make his Presidents Cup debut after finishing No. 6 in the U.S. Team standings. Matt Kuchar Age: 39 2017 PGA TOUR record: 26 events, 9 top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at The Open Championship Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2011, 2013, 2015 (4-7-2) Matt Kuchar s consistency trend on the PGA TOUR has continued after turning in eight top-10 finishes including a memorable runner-up finish at The Open Championship to Jordan Spieth. While Kuchar hasn t won since the 2014 season, he remains a model of consistency with at least seven top-10 finishes in each of the last eight PGA TOUR seasons. His inspired play at Royal Birkdale wasn t his only success in the majors in 2017. Weekend rounds of 71-67 at the Masters secured a T4 finish, his fourth career top 10 at Augusta National. Kuchar then added a respectable T16 at the U.S. Open and finished off the major season with a T9 at the PGA Championship. Kuchar is making his fourth consecutive Presidents Cup appearance. With four Ryder Cup appearances to his credit, Kuchar has represented the U.S. Team in every Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup since 2010. Phil Mickelson, Captain s Selection Age: 47 2017 PGA TOUR record: 22 events, 5 top-10 finishes Presidents Cup appearances (record): 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 (23-16-12) Mickelson, 47, is one of the veteran players on the U.S. Team, having played in each of the 11 Presidents Cups that have been staged in the event s history, the only player to accomplish that feat. The lefty owns a 23-16-12 record in the event overall, and is just one win shy of tying Tiger Woods record for the most matches won in Presidents Cup history. At No. 15 in the final U.S. Team standings, Mickelson was selected as a Captain s Selection for the third time, tying him with Robert Allenby as the only three-time Captain s Selections in Presidents Cup history. Mickelson was a Captain s Selection in the inaugural event in 1994 and in 2015. This year s Presidents Cup appearance will be his 23 rd straight international team competition between the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup dating back to 1994. Mickelson was unable to add to his PGA TOUR career win total of 42 but he notched five top-10 finishes including T5 at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play and a T6 at the Dell Technologies Championship. Mickelson s last victory remains the 2013 Open Championship, the fifth major title among 42 PGA TOUR career titles. Patrick Reed Age: 27
2017 PGA TOUR record: 29 events, 4 top-10 finishes, including a T2 at the PGA Championship Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2015 (1-2-1) Unable to win in 2016-17, Reed did enough to qualify for his fourth consecutive TOUR Championship thanks to a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship to bump him from No. 11 to No. 9 in the U.S. Team standings. He remained inside the top 10 thanks to top-20 finishes at the first two FedExCup Playoffs events (THE NORTHERN TRUST/T20, Dell Technologies Championship/T6). With 14 total top-25 finishes this season, including a T5 at the Travelers Championship, the five-time PGA TOUR winner has continued to prove himself as one of the bright young stars in the game. After a 3-1-1 record at the 2016 Ryder Cup for the winning U.S. Team, Reed is back for his second Presidents Cup appearance. Jordan Spieth Age: 24 2017 PGA TOUR record: 23 events, 12 top-10 finishes, including wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Travelers Championship and The Open Championship Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2013, 2015 (5-4-0) Thanks to three victories this season (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Travelers Championship, The Open Championship), Jordan Spieth entered the TOUR Championship at the top of the FedExCup standings. Spieth is joined by Justin Thomas (2 nd ), Dustin Johnson (3 rd ), Hideki Matsuyama (7 th ) and Marc Leishman (4 th ) as one of five players to capture multiple victories this season. Making his 100th professional PGA TOUR start, Spieth breezed through the weekend at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to win by four strokes over Kelly Kraft. Four months later, after holing out from a greenside bunker in a playoff to defeat Daniel Berger at the Travelers Championship, Spieth joined Tiger Woods as the only players in the modern era with 10 PGA TOUR wins by the age of 24. Following his three-stroke victory over Matt Kuchar at The Open Championship, Spieth earned his 11th PGA TOUR win, third of the season and third major title. Spieth joined Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win three legs of the grand slam before the age of 24. Spieth became the sixth player to have top-10 finishes in all four FedExCup Playoffs events this year, finishing runner up at both THE NORTHERN TRUST and the Dell Technologies Championship to go along with a T7 at both the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship. The consistent play in the Playoffs secured his position atop the standings heading to the TOUR Championship, where his T7 result left him in second in the final standings behind Justin Thomas. Spieth has recorded top-10 finishes in 11 of 22 starts this season, eight of which were top-3 finishes. He will make his third start in the Presidents Cup after finishing No. 2 in the U.S. Team standings. In 2013, Spieth became the youngest in event history to play for the U.S. Team, posting a 2-2-0 record. Justin Thomas Age: 24 2017 PGA TOUR record: 25 events, 12 top-10 finishes, including wins at the CIMB Classic, Sentry Tournament of Champions, Sony Open in Hawaii, PGA Championship and Dell Technologies Championship. The 2017 FedExCup champion s season got off to a sizzling start, with three victories in his first five starts. Thomas successfully defended his CIMB Classic title and then earned back-to-back victories at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Sony Open in Hawaii. Thomas 59 in the opening round of the Sony Open made him the youngest of seven players (eight times) to record a sub-60 round on the
PGA TOUR (23 years, 8 months, 14 days). His four-day total of 253 also set a new PGA TOUR record. Since his T8 finish at the season-opening Safeway Open, Thomas ranked no worse than fourth in the FedExCup standings, thanks to 11 top-10 finishes in 24 total starts. After finishing T9 at the U.S. Open, his first top-10 result in a major Thomas won his first major at the 99th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, coming from two strokes behind to eventually win by two over Francesco Molinari, Patrick Reed and Louis Oosthuizen for his fifth PGA TOUR victory in his 90th start. With his win at the Dell Technologies Championship, Thomas became the first player to win five or more times in a season on TOUR since Jordan Spieth and Jason Day won five times during the 2014-15 season. At the TOUR Championship, Thomas shot a final-round 66 to finish one stroke behind champion Xander Schauffele. Beginning the week No. 2 in the standings, Thomas runner-up finish was enough to win the FedExCup by 660 points over Jordan Spieth, capping off an incredible season for the 24-yearold. Finishing No. 3 in the final U.S. Team standings, Thomas will make his first Presidents Cup appearance as one of six rookies on the team. International Team Bios Jason Day, Australia Age: 29 2017 PGA TOUR record: 20 events, 5 top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2011, 2013, 2015 (4-4-2) Winless on the PGA TOUR for the first time since 2013, Jason Day s 2016-17 season had its ups and downs, but the Aussie came on strong late in the season with a T9 at the PGA Championship, followed by a T6 at THE NORTHERN TRUST. In his third playoff start at the BMW Championship, Day opened with a 64 en route to a solo fourth to secure his fifth consecutive trip to the TOUR Championship. Day finished with five top-10 finishes on the season, including a runner-up result at the AT&T Byron Nelson, where he fell to Billy Horschel in a playoff. Set to make his fourth Presidents Cup appearance, Day will look to use his late-season momentum to lead the International Team to their first win since 1998. One of three Australians on the team, Day is tied with Charl Schwartzel with the second-most Presidents Cup appearances behind only Adam Scott. Branden Grace, South Africa Age: 29 2017 PGA TOUR record: 20 events, 2 top-10 finishes Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2013, 2015 (5-4-0) Branden Grace will look to pick up where he left off at the 2015 Presidents Cup, where the South African became the fifth player in Presidents Cup history to win five matches in one year. Grace teamed with fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen to win their first four matches before defeating Matt Kuchar 2 & 1 in singles play. Grace successfully redeemed himself in 2015 after going 0-4-0 in his debut in 2013. Since his historic performance in Korea, Grace went on to win his first PGA TOUR victory at the 2016 RBC Heritage after shooting bookend 66s at Harbour Town Golf Links to win by two over Luke Donald and Russell Knox. In 20 starts on the PGA TOUR in 2016-17, Grace has recorded two top-10 finishes, including a T6 at The Open Championship for his best result of the season. On Saturday at
Royal Birkdale, Grace made history by becoming the first player to shoot a 62 in major championship history. Earlier in the season, he held the 18-hole lead after a 66 at the Valero Texas Open before finishing T10. A seven-time winner on the European Tour, Grace last won in Europe at the 2016 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Emiliano Grillo, Argentina, Captain s Selection Age: 25 2017 PGA TOUR record: 25 events, 2 top-10 finishes At No. 11 in the final International Team standings, Emiliano Grillo was selected as a Captain s Selection by Nick Price, and will make his Presidents Cup debut. Grillo is the second Argentinian to compete in the Presidents Cup, joining four-time participant and two-time major champion Angel Cabrera. Winner of the 2016 Safeway Open in his first PGA TOUR start as a full member and only seventh overall, Grillo went on to qualify for the TOUR Championship as a rookie after securing a share of second at THE NORTHERN TRUST. As one of two rookies to make the field of 30 at East Lake last season, Grillo claimed Rookie of the Year honors over Presidents Cup teammate Si Woo Kim. Grillo has followed up a successful first season with two top-10 finishes in 25 starts, as well as solo 11 th results at both the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and THE PLAYERS Championship. Adam Hadwin, Canada Age: 29 2017 PGA TOUR record: 28 events, 5 top-10 finishes, including his first career win at the Valspar Championship When the 2016-17 PGA TOUR Season began, Adam Hadwin was 56 th on the International Team standings. But thanks to his most successful season on the PGA TOUR that included his first victory, Hadwin finished 10 th in the final International Team standings to qualify for his first Presidents Cup. The breakthrough play began in February, where in the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge, Hadwin rattled off 13 birdies and no bogeys to add his name to the list of players to shoot a 59 on the PGA TOUR. In doing so, he became the first Canadian to achieve the feat and the fourth to post the score on a par 72. Hadwin went on to finish second to Hudson Swafford after a final-round 70. One month later, Hadwin entered the 72nd hole at the Valspar Championship tied for the lead with Patrick Cantlay, but was able to two-putt for par for his first career PGA TOUR win. He became the 15th different Canadian to win on the PGA TOUR and only the second player in TOUR history to win on the Mackenzie Tour PGA TOUR Canada, Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR, joining Mackenzie Hughes. Si Woo Kim, Korea Age: 22 2017 PGA TOUR record: 30 events, 2 top-10 finishes, including a win at THE PLAYERS Championship. Following a breakthrough rookie season on the PGA TOUR that saw Si Woo Kim capture his first PGA TOUR title at the Wyndham Championship and advance to the TOUR Championship, Kim cemented himself as a budding star in the game with his win at THE PLAYERS Championship, where he began the final round two strokes off the lead and posted the only bogey-free final round, a 3-under 69 to become the youngest winner of THE PLAYERS Championship at the age of 21 years, 10 months, 16
days. Kim became first PLAYERS champion to go bogey-free over his last 18 holes since Tim Clark in 2010. Kim won in his second start at TPC Sawgrass and became the 14th different winner of THE PLAYERS, joining K.J. Choi (2011) as players from South Korean to win. He also made history as the first player from Asia to win twice on the PGA TOUR before the age of 22. But during a season that was continually marred by back problems, Kim was only able to manage a T13 at the U.S. Open as his best finish over his next 11 events. His strong play earlier in the season, however, was enough to finish No. 8 in the final International Team standings. Anirban Lahiri, India, Captain s Selection Age: 30 2017 PGA TOUR record: 22 events, 3 top-10 finishes, including a T2 at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2015 (0-3-0) Anirban Lahiri, 30, is back for his second Presidents Cup appearance after finishing with a 0-3-0 record in his debut in 2015. After battling injury for much of 2016, Lahiri began his 2016-17 campaign with a T3 at the CIMB Classic. He added his best career finish in a PGA TOUR event at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, where a 7-under 65 in the final round led to a T2 result. Lahiri is a two-time winner on the European Tour, having captured both the 2015 Maybank Malaysian Open and Hero Indian Open. In his second appearance in the FedExCup Playoffs, Lahiri advanced to the BMW Championship as the last man in at No. 70 in the standings. At No. 16 in the final International Team standings, Lahiri was selected with one of Nick Price s two Captain s Selections, and remains the only player from India to compete in the Presidents Cup. Marc Leishman, Australia Age: 33 2017 PGA TOUR record: 25 events, 7 top-10 finishes, including wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and the BMW Championship. Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2013, 2015 (3-4-1) Marc Leishman won his second PGA TOUR event at this year s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the first time the tournament was played since the passing of the icon last fall. With a third-place finish at the Dell Technologies Championship after sharing the 54-hole lead, Leishman locked in a spot at the TOUR Championship for the first time since 2009, but he didn t stop there. Leishman s strong play continued into the third FedExCup Playoff event, and the Australian won for the second time of the season and third of his PGA TOUR career with an impressive five-stroke victory at the BMW Championship in wire-to-wire fashion. The win was Leishman s first FedExCup Playoff victory and gave him enough points to grab one of the coveted top five spots heading to the TOUR Championship. With his strong play that yielded five top-10s in 24 starts, Leishman qualified for his third International Presidents Cup team, having played on the team in both 2013 and 2015; he also represented Australia in the 2016 ISPS Handa World Cup. In addition to the two victories, Leishman finished T6 at The Open Championship. Leishman defeated Jordan Spieth in Singles play at the 2015 Presidents Cup. Hideki Matsuyama, Japan
Age: 25 2017 PGA TOUR record: 21 events, 7 top-10 finishes, including wins at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, Waste Management Phoenix Open and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational The Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2013, 2015 (3-4-2) Hideki Matsuyama continues to be a force on the PGA TOUR, adding three more career PGA TOUR titles this season at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, Waste Management Phoenix Open and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. In his 100th start on the PGA TOUR, Matsuyama posted 9-under in the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational to finish at 16-under 264. His final round included an eagle at the par-5 second hole, along with seven birdies, including three straight to close out the round to win the tournament by five strokes over Zach Johnson. His final-round 61 marked his career-low round on TOUR and was also the lowest final-round score, by three strokes, in any World Golf Championships event and matched the 18-hole record at the Bridgestone Invitational. With the win, he became one of 12 players with multiple victories in World Golf Championships and joined Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson with more than one WGC win in the same season. Matsuyama was the FedExCup standings leader at the start of the FedExCup Playoffs, but finished the season eighth. The 25-year-old is making his third Presidents Cup appearance. Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa Age: 34 2017 PGA TOUR record: 18 events, 4 top-10 finishes, including a T2 at THE PLAYERS Championship and PGA Championship Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2013, 2015 (4-3-2) Louis Oosthuizen was one of four players who went undefeated at the 2015 Presidents Cup, winning his first four matches with fellow South African Branden Grace before halving his singles match with Patrick Reed. Oosthuizen is making his third appearance on the International Team as one of three South Africans after finishing No. 4 in the final International Team standings. With his T2 finish at the PGA Championship (two strokes behind champion Justin Thomas), the 2010 Open Championship winner now has runner-up finishes at all four major championships (2017 PGA Championship, 2015 Open Championship, 2015 U.S. Open, 2012 Masters Tournament). His finalround 1-under 70 at Quail Hollow Club was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 15th hole and a 52 11 inch birdie putt on the final hole to move into the clubhouse lead at 6-under. In search of his first victory on U.S. soil earlier in 2017, Oosthuizen posted a 1-over 73 in the final round at TPC Sawgrass to finish T2, marking his best performance in seven starts in THE PLAYERS Championship. Oosthuizen finished with four top-10 finishes on the season, and narrowly missed out on his third trip to the TOUR Championship by one point to Jason Dufner. Charl Schwartzel, South Africa Age: 33 2017 PGA TOUR record: 18 events, 3 top-10 finishes, including a solo third at the Masters Tournament. Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2011, 2013, 2015 (6-7-1) Off the strength of a successful 2016 that saw Charl Schwartzel win for a second time on the PGA TOUR and add two victories on the European Tour, the South African added three top-10 results during the 2016-17 season and finished No. 6 in the final International Team standings.
In defense of his Valspar Championship title, Schwartzel posted four sub-par scores to finish at 9-under 275 and claim solo-sixth for his first top-10 of the season. The 2011 Masters champion overcame a lackluster start in rounds one and two (74-72) with back-to-back 68s on the weekend to finish at 6- under 282 in his eighth Masters appearance. He sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to post the Sunday 68 and finish alone in third place. The last man in the TOUR Championship in 2016, Schwartzel advanced to the BMW Championship but finished No. 44 in the standings. Schwartzel earned his first European Tour card at the 2002 Q-School when he was just 18 years old, the third-youngest player to accomplish the feat. He played on national amateur teams with Louis Oosthuizen, and the two remain close friends. Schwartzel won the 2011 Masters months after Oosthuizen won his first major at The Open Championship. The two are now International Presidents Cup teammates for the third time, with the duo notching a 3-0-1 record together in 2015. Adam Scott, Australia Age: 37 2017 PGA TOUR record: 16 events, 4 top-10 finishes, including a T6 at THE PLAYERS Championship. Presidents Cup appearances (record): 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 (13-17-5) The International Team s veteran leader, Adam Scott is back for his eighth Presidents Cup as one of three Australians on the team. Last November, Scott teamed with Marc Leishman at the ISPS Handa World Cup at Kingston Heath to finish T9. Scott caught fire early in 2016 with back-to-back victories at The Honda Classic and World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, but the 13-time PGA TOUR winner has not visited the winner s circle since, recording nine top-10 finishes over the past two seasons. Scott made a run during last year s FedExCup Playoffs with results of T4-4-T4-T8 to finish fourth in the final standings, but failed to advance past the Dell Technologies Championship in 2017. In his 16th start at the Masters, the 2013 champion overcame a 3-over 75 in round one with scores of 69-69-73 to finish T9. The finish marked his fifth top-10 showing at Augusta. He added another top-10 finish at THE PLAYERS Championship, where the 2004 champion finished T6 after carding no lower than a 70. Scott and wife Marie welcomed their second child, Byron, in mid-august. Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela Age: 33 2017 PGA TOUR record: 29 events, 4 top-10 finishes, including a win at the RBC Canadian Open Jhonattan Vegas 2016-17 season has been marked by four top-10 finishes, including a sudden-death victory over Charley Hoffman at the RBC Canadian Open to successfully defend his title, earn his third PGA TOUR title in his 156th start and move from 87th to 28th in the FedExCup standings. His five previous starts before his victory were consecutive missed cuts. In his next start after his win at Glen Abbey Golf Club, Vegas posted a T17 finish at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational to jump three more spots in the FedExCup standings. Despite a missed cut at the PGA Championship, Vegas - making his fourth career FedExCup Playoffs appearance - posted a bogey-free, final-round 65 to finish T3 at THE NORTHERN TRUST and move to No. 10 in the FedExCup. Thanks to that strong finish, Vegas all but secured his first trip to the Presidents Cup and eventually finished No. 9 in the final International Team standings. It is a historic accomplishment for Vegas, who becomes the first player from Venezuela to compete in the Presidents Cup.